Contest Station Checklist: What to Test Before the Contest

Most contests are not lost on the air. They are lost in the days before, when a cable turns out to be broken, the logger does not talk to the radio or the antenna that worked in the summer fails at the first gust. The cure is a plain, written contest station checklist that you work through at fixed times before the start, so that the first hour of the contest is spent making contacts and not diagnosing faults. This guide gives a practical timeline for the last two weeks, with the tests that matter for software, rig control, keying and audio, antennas, power and backups, and a short routine for the final hour. It suits the first contest and the fiftieth, and you can adapt it to a single-operator station or a multi-operator team.

Why a Written Checklist Works

Under pressure you forget things you know perfectly well. A checklist replaces memory with a routine, and it makes problems appear when you still have time to solve them. It also gives you a record of what was tested and when, which is useful when a fault appears. The best checklist is the one you write for your own station and improve after every contest, adding the item that caught you out last time. Keep it on paper or in a note on your phone, and tick off items as you go. If you are new to the sport, the overview of radiosport gives the background to how contests are scored and why preparation matters so much.

Start by choosing the contest and reading its rules. The contest calendar lists the dates, times in UTC and links to the rules. Check the exchange, the categories, the bands, the power limits and the log deadline. Many mistakes come from small details, such as a different exchange for stations in different regions or a rule about the maximum operating hours.

A Timeline for the Last Two Weeks

Software and Logging

The logger is the center of the station, so test it first. Enter your call sign, name, zone and grid exactly as the contest requires, and select the right contest in the logger. Make a dozen test contacts and check that the logger fills in the exchange fields correctly, rejects duplicates and counts multipliers. If you use a program such as the one described in our guide to setting up N1MM Logger+ for your first contest, pay attention to the entry window, the band map and the telnet connection to the cluster.

• Connect to the DX cluster or the skimmer feed, and confirm that spots arrive and filters work.
• Check that the computer clock is accurate, using the methods in the guide to computer clock accuracy, because the log must record the correct UTC time.
• Turn off automatic operating system updates and any program that might start a scan or a backup during the contest.
• Make a backup of the logger configuration and the country file, and save it on a separate drive.
• Export a test log in the format that the contest requires, so you know that it works before the deadline. The article on Cabrillo logs and the checking process explains the format.

Rig Control, Keying and Audio

Test each link between the computer and the radio, on every band and mode that you will use. Change the band on the radio and check that the logger follows, and change the band in the logger and check that the radio follows. Switch between modes and make sure the frequency display agrees. Test the CW keying with the keyer and the computer, at several speeds, and listen to the sidetone and the transmitted signal with a monitor receiver. For sideband, record the voice messages and test them on the air at low power to a friend or with a monitor receiver, as described in the guide to the voice keyer for SSB contests.

Audio and Headset

Wear the headset for a full test session and adjust the volume, the balance and the microphone gain, because discomfort grows with every hour of the contest. Check that the footswitch or the keyboard transmit control works, and that the computer sound system does not switch devices after a restart. Write down the audio settings you use so that you can restore them.

Antennas, Feed Lines and Power

Walk the antenna system. Look at every connector for water and corrosion, check the guy lines and the supports and inspect the rotator cable. Measure the SWR on each band and compare with the figures from the previous year. A rise in SWR is a warning that something has changed. If you have an antenna switch, test every position and every band, and label them clearly.

For power, test the supply under load by transmitting at full power for several minutes on the band that draws the most current, and check the voltage at the radio. A thin cable or a loose terminal shows up as a drop in voltage at the transceiver. If you plan to use a battery backup or a generator, test it too. A small uninterruptible power supply on the computer prevents a power cut from losing the log. Keep fuses and spare cables within reach.

Spares and Comfort

• Spare parts. Keep spare jumpers, adapters, a spare microphone, a spare paddle or key, fuses, batteries and a roll of tape.
• A paper backup. Keep a sheet with the exchange, your call sign and the contest rules. If the computer fails, you can continue on paper.
• Food and drink. Prepare meals that are easy to eat and drink water regularly.
• Lighting and temperature. A comfortable room supports long operating periods. Check the seat, the desk height and the lighting.
• A rest plan. Decide when you will sleep and for how long. The article on rest time management in 24 and 48 hour contests helps you plan it.

Noise and Neighbours

Check the noise level on every band in the evening, with everything in the house switched on as it will be during the contest, because lighting, chargers and switching supplies change the noise. If a source appears, find it now. During the contest you can also warn your household about your plans and pick times when noisy equipment can be switched off.

The Last Hour

An hour before the start, sit down at the station and run through a short list. Check the clock, the logger settings and the call sign. Check the cluster connection and the band map. Select the antenna for the first band, set the power, test the keyer and the voice keyer, and clear any old test contacts from the log. Fill the water bottle, find the notes with your frequency plan and silence the phone. When the contest begins, make the first call slowly and listen, because the first minutes are the best test of whether the whole chain is working. A calm start leaves more time for contacts and gives you more energy for the second half.

A Dry Run Is Worth Two Hours

The best single test is a dry run: a short session of one to two hours that follows the real contest procedure from start to finish. Pick a weekend evening when a regular weekly contest or a sprint is running, and operate it as if it were the big one. Use the same logger profile, the same headset, the same band changes and the same keyer messages. Make contacts on at least two bands and two modes. Export the log at the end and check it. A dry run reveals the things that a bench test does not: the cable that is just too short when you turn the chair, the macro that sends the wrong exchange, the microphone that picks up the fan and the habit of leaving the speaker volume too loud. Many operators find that the first twenty minutes of a dry run produce a list of five small fixes.

Multi-Operator and Remote Stations

If several people share the station, the checklist needs a few more lines. Agree who is responsible for each task, such as the logger, the antennas, the power and the food. Test the changeover between operators, including the logger login, the headset and the keyer macros, and make sure each operator can find the notes. For a remote station, test the connection from the operating location at the time of day that you will use it, because latency and dropouts change during the day, and keep a plan for what to do if the link fails. In both cases, write down who has the authority to stop the operation if there is a safety problem. A clear plan matters more when more people are involved.

After the Contest

The checklist does not end when the contest does. Save the log immediately, make a copy on a second drive and export the file in the required format before you go to sleep. Write a short note while the memory is fresh: what failed, what nearly failed, which band changes paid off, and what you would change next time. Add the lessons to the checklist as new lines. Over a few contests, the list becomes a precise description of your own station, and the preparation takes less time each season while the results improve.

Common Mistakes

• Updating software the week of the contest. A new version may change settings or break a driver. Freeze the setup ten days before.
• Testing only on one band. A fault often shows up on one band only, such as a bad antenna switch position.
• Leaving test contacts in the log. Clear them before the start, or export only the real contest period.
• Not testing the log export. Discovering a format problem on deadline day is stressful.
• Underestimating fatigue. Plan sleep and food, not only equipment.
• Not writing down what worked. After the contest, update the checklist with what you learned.

The Bottom Line

A contest station checklist moves the work of problem solving from the contest weekend to the days before it. Read the rules, freeze the software ten days before, test the logger, rig control, keying and audio a week before, walk the antennas, measure the SWR and check the power system, then run a practice session and export a test log. The day before, check the clock, spares, food and rest plan, and in the last hour go through a short list. Afterward, add every surprise to the list. Operators who follow a routine like this start the contest with a station they trust, and they spend the hours on the air making contacts.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start preparing for a contest?

About two weeks before. Read the rules, choose your category, and freeze software changes ten days before the start so there is time to fix any problems.

What should I test first?

The logger and the connection between the logger and the radio, since most contest day problems come from software settings and rig control. Then test keying, audio, antennas and power.

Should I update my software before a contest?

Do it early, at least a week or ten days before, and test afterwards. Do not update in the last days, and turn off automatic updates for the contest weekend.

How do I check my antennas before a contest?

Inspect connectors, supports and cables, and measure the SWR on every band. Compare the values with earlier measurements, and investigate any change before the contest.

What should I do in the last hour?

Check the clock, the logger settings, the cluster connection and the antenna switch, clear test contacts, prepare food and water, and make a calm first call.

Why export a test log?

Because the log format has strict requirements, and you want to find any problem in the export before the deadline, when there is no time to repair it.